The proposed county budget for 2010 is $192.6 million, an increase from the current year's budget of $168.8 million.
The millage rate, which was set earlier this year, was maintained at 7.123 mills.
The county budget, which follows the calendar year, has been posted on the county's Web site at www. cherokee ga.com.
A public hearing has been scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the county Administration Building in Canton. The Board of Commissioners can adopt the budget after the hearing or wait until its Jan. 19 meeting.
County Manager Jerry Cooper said there is one net reduction in staff from cuts made earlier this year, but the budget should maintain the current level of service.
Commissioner Jim Hubbard said he was pleased the budget was crafted without any mass layoffs.
The county, he said, was able to "tighten the belt and get it taken care of without us having to contribute to unemployment."
Commissioner Karen Bosch said the county is cutting back by not filling open positions and holding off on capital projects such as road projects and new equipment.
"We had some retirements and didn't replace them. Those help out a little," she said.
Keeping vacant positions open in 2010 will save hundreds of thousands of dollars, Cooper said in his budget summary report.
The county also has renegotiated various contracts over the past year, resulting in an annual savings of about $150,000.
In the proposed budget, the general fund budget - which covers the day-to-day operations of the county government - dropped from $62 million in the current budget to $60.9 million.
The budget does not include employee pay increases.
The proposed parks bond budget, which is new to the overall budget, is set at $27.6 million for the upcoming fiscal year.
Last year, county voters approved a $90 million park bond to pay for passive, active and greenspace park and recreation projects. The bond will be repaid with an additional property tax, the millage rate for which was set at .58 mills this year.
The county spent more than $17 million for land acquisition this year and will begin park development in 2010.
The sales tax budget, which funds projects such as roads, sidewalks and public safety facilities, dropped form $34.9 million in the current budget to $27.6 million.
Sales tax projects included in the proposed budget include $500,000 for juvenile court renovations at the Justice Center, $2 million for fire department facilities and $2.1 million for Priest Road/Hunt Road improvements.
The fire district fund decreased from $20.6 million in the current budget to $19.6 million in the proposed budget.
The impact fee budget decreased from $6.9 million I the current budget to just more than $2 million in the proposed budget.
Not only do operating and capital funds decline in the proposed budget, the outlook also is bleak for the future.
"2011 is going to be equally as tight," Mrs. Bosch said.
Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens said the 2010 tax digest could be off by "pick a number."
"The challenge is to monitor and understand trends and get ready for the next year," he said.
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